This piece is a Greek blackware kylix that dates circa 4th century B.C., and is approximately 10 inches wide from handle to handle, by 2.1 inches high. This piece is intact with no repair and/or restoration, and has a deep lustrous black glaze on the inner and outer surfaces, save for the bottom of the raised ring base that has an unglazed section known as the "reserve" section, and this is a light red terracotta. This attractive piece has an impressed "star pattern" with four acanthus leaves in the bottom center of the bowl, along with two curved handles that are solidly attached to the vessel. This piece also has some spotty white calcite deposits with a beautiful multi-colored iridescent patina, and overall, is in it's natural "as found" condition. Ex: Hans Piehler collection, Germany, circa 1940's-1960's. Ex: Private German collection. (Note: Additional documentation is available to the purchaser, including EU Export and US Customs Import documentation.) I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:

This pleasing piece is an early Moche culture portrait vessel, and dates to the Moche I Period, circa 300-100 B.C. This piece is approximately 8.5 inches high, by 6 inches wide from ear to ear, and is intact with no repair/restoration. This mint quality example is an unglazed red terracotta, and has a light gray/white wash that was applied to sections of the vessel. This piece also has a raised stirrup handle centered at the top, large staring eyes, a small clenched mouth, sculpted ears, and the majority of the face is covered with the gray/white wash. This wash also lends this portrait vessel a serene expression that has a great deal of eye appeal. This vessel is also one of the earliest Moche portrait vessels, and is the prototype for the subsequent and more numerous Moche portrait vessels. Another analogous example of this rare vessel was offered in Lempertz Pre-Columbian Art, Brussels, Jan. 2010, no. 98. (7,000.00-10,000.00 Euro estimates. See attached photo.) For the type see: Donnan, Christopher, "Moche Portraits from Ancient Peru", China, 2004, no. 27. Ex: Private German collections, circa 1950's and 2000's. (Note: Additional documentation is available to the purchaser, including EU Export and US Customs Import documentation.) I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:

This flawless piece is a Greek red ware pyxis that dates to the Hellenistic period, circa 4th-early 3rd century B.C. This piece is approximately 3.85 inches in diameter at the lid and lower base, and 4 inches high. This flawless piece is in mint quality condition, and has no repair and/or restoration. Two-part Greek vessels of this type are scarce to rare in this mint condition, as the lid and base have thin edges that extend away from the main body of the piece. The lid fits very close to the supporting lower base, and lifts easily on and off the base. The lid also has a roundel seen at the top that may have had a bone, metal, or stone insert with a carved image. A nearly identical vessel of the same size with a terracotta image of a goddess, seen within the roundel at the top, was offered by Royal Athena Galleries, New York, Vol. XXVI, no. 118. ($5,000.00 estimate. See attached photo.) The piece offered here also has some spotty light brown earthen, and minute black mineral deposits. A scarce vessel in this mint condition. Ex: Charles Ede collection, London, circa 1990's. Ex: Private New York collection. (Note: Additional documentation is available to the purchaser.) I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:

This vibrant Nazca globular vessel dates to the Middle Nazca Period, circa 300-600 A.D., and is approximately 10 inches high, by 9 inches in diameter through the center of the piece. This piece has very vibrant dark red, orange, cream, black, white, and light aquamarine colors. This piece was painted over a light brown/tan clay, and has perfect globular symmetry in it's creation. This attractive piece has a flat "basket handle" that covers the top opening, and this opening also has an esoteric flared lip. This piece is also larger than other examples of this type, and is a type not often seen relative to Nazca ceramics. This piece features a powerful image of a "spirit god", which has also been termed a "demon-feline god", and this god has a mirror image of itself seen on each half of the vessel. (For an explanation of this composite god see "Culturas Precolumbinas Nazca", by J. Antonio de Lavalle", Lima, 1986.) This "spirit god" has a facing head with open and noticeable white eyes, a linear open mouth with a tongue protruding, a multi-colored and segmented necklace, and trailing legs with a textile cape that has two attached trophy heads and a facing head at the end. This figure also appears to be in flight, and is an excellent representation of a god in the spirit world. A major theme of Nazca ceramic art features complex figures with feline faces and human trophy-heads probably alluding to war, the taking of heads, and the use of blood offerings to earth, sky, and water. Similarly dressed figures may also have appeared in ceremonial rites. This piece was repaired from several fragments, as is usually the case relative to large-scale Nazca ceramics, and is approximately 98% original. A nice large piece with very powerful and vibrant iconography. This powerful piece also comes with a clear Plexiglas ring base. Ex: Private German collection, circa 1960's. Ex: Dr. Gunther Marschall collection, Hamburg, Germany, circa 1970's. (Note: Additional documentation is available to the purchaser, including a TL authenticity test from Kotalla Lab, Germany, no. 28R270317, and EU Export and US Customs Import documentation.) I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:

La Collezione Archeologica Del Banco Di Sicilia is a boxed two volume set that was printed in 1992 by Edizioni Guida Pub. in Palermo, Italy. This beautiful two volume set is virtually unobtainable in the US, and is a superb corpus of ancient Greek ceramics that were produced in Magna Graecia (Southern Italy). If you are a collector of ancient Greek ceramics, this book is an excellent reference, as there are 648 pieces listed with B&W photos in Vol.1, and Vol.2 has line drawings, detailed descriptions, maps, and lavish color photos of the pieces listed in Vol. 1. Vol.1 is organized with sections such as: Vasi Preistorici, Terrecotte, Ceramica Figurata, Corinthian, Attica, Apulia, Siceliota, and Gnathian. Vol. 2 also groups these pieces into double page color fold outs, with catagories such as Fantastic Animals, Female Divinities, Nike Divinities, War Scenes, and Sport Scenes. This edition was printed as a limited edition and has not been re-printed, and is one of the most comprehensive references for ancient Greek ceramics outside the works produced by A.D. Trendall. All of the text is in Italian, and all the pieces have sizes listed, museum inventory numbers, and dates. The condition of this boxed two volume set is mint, save for some wear on the bottom side of the outer box. This is a very valuable reference for the collector, and one that has many pieces listed.

This beautiful piece is a Greek Attic silver tetradrachm that dates circa 440-406 B.C., and is approximately 25mm wide. This piece weighs 17.2 gms, and is in Mint State to Superb grade, with some traces of original mint luster. This piece has a bust of a helmeted Athena facing right on the obverse, and the reverse features a standing facing owl, with an olive sprig and half moon to the left. In addition, the reverse features the Greek lettering "AOE", seen to the right of the standing owl, meaning "Athens". This piece also has exceptional centering, with a full necklace seen below the neckline of the Athena bust, and a full incuse square on the reverse showing a full olive sprig. This coin type seldom has the full necklace, along with the back crest seen on the helmet, as this beautiful specimen shows. These features are usually not seen, and are often off the flan, but one can clearly see the features noted above, as this coin has a wide flan with a perfectly centered strike. This coin also has extremely high relief, and there are minute details seen in the Athena bust, such as the individual beads in the necklace, and the singular hair lines. This piece also was over struck from another coin type, and some details can be seen on the flat section of the flan in front of Athena's face, and behind Athena's eye. This coin may have been re-struck from another coin that was military tribute from one of the Athenian client city-states. This coin was also minted during the period when Athens was expanding her empire, and could have been used to help finance the building of the Parthenon. Another analogous coin of this type and grade is seen in the Gemini Numismatic Auction XII, Jan. 11th, 2015, New York, no. 122. (Close to Mint state Grade, $3,750.00 estimate.) Svoronos pl. 13, no.2. Flament pl. 8, no. 4. The coin offered here is better than most examples, as it has high relief, exceptional centering with added features, some original mint luster, and nice eye appeal. Ex: Harlan Berk, Chicago, Ill., circa 1980's. I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:

This interesting document is a Persian illuminated manuscript page that depicts two hunters slaying two running deer. This piece is likely late 17th-18th century A.D., and is approximately 7.5 inches wide by 9.9 inches high. This piece is in superb condition, and has very vibrant black, light blue, yellow, red, white, and brown colors. One side of this page has two lines of elegant nasta'liq script, seen above a fine-line drawn scene, and there are three lines of script seen in the upper left side margin. In addition, there is a single line of script seen in the upper left side corner of the fine-line drawn scene. The back side of this detailed document has 21 lines of script, and there are several lines of script that appear to be added notes that are seen in the left margin of the page and between several lines of the text. The fine-line drawn scene has two hunters on horseback, and they are hunting two deer, as one hunter shoots an arrow into a jumping deer, while the other chases a running deer with a sword. The scene has very vibrant colors, and the sky above the light blue mountains, the saddle blankets, the arrow quivers, and the sword are all highlighted with a gold gilt. The light blue mountains and foreground are also meant to convey a magical world, and in combination with the gold gilt highlights, give the scene an ethereal perspective. The scene may also represent a Persian myth of the hero Rostam, who carried out the "Seven Labours of Rostam", and the "Fourth Stage" of this myth involves Rostam traveling on horseback through an enchanted territory where he finds provisions including a ready roasted deer. This myth is likely what is portrayed on the manuscript page offered here, as Rostam is also the mythical national hero of "Greater Persia" which originated with the first Persian Empire in Persis circa 1400 B.C. This piece is a better example than what is normally seen on the market, and has great eye appeal. This piece is ready for mounting, and is in a protective plastic cover with a hard backing which is made for storage and shipping. Ex: Private New York collection. I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:

This mint quality Roman glass "sprinkler" flask dates circa 3rd century A.D., and is in flawless condition with no cracks and/or chips. This piece is approximately 3.4 inches high, by 2.25 inches wide at the upper rim. This piece is also a large example for the type, and has a wider rim than what is usually seen. This piece has an exceptional patina, and is a light blue-green color, and has thick dark brown/black deposits that are seen over a brilliant multi-colored iridescent surface. The extra large wide rim seen on this vessel allowed for added control while pouring and/or sprinkling the contained liquid, and served as a palette for the liquid. This piece was also mold made from two halves, and the main body of this vessel has an impressed lattice-work "diamond pattern" type design. This attractive design is also very detailed, and the intricate "diamond pattern" design also imitates a surface texture that is very similar to that of pine cones. The pine cone was also a Greco-Roman symbol that was associated with the Greek god Dionysus, and the Roman god Bacchus. (For the type see: "Shining Vessels, Ancient Glass from Greek and Roman Times", Fortuna Fine Arts, New York, 1991, no. 93, $2,500.00 estimate.) This piece is also scarce in this pristine condition. A custom display stand is also included with this piece. Ex: New York private collection. Ex: Fortuna Fine Arts, New York, circa 1990's. (Note: Additional documentation is available to the purchaser.) I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:

This attractive piece is a Greek Attic skyphos that dates circa 500-480 B.C. This x-large piece is approximately 4 inches high, by 6.7 inches in diameter at the rim, and is 9.6 inches wide from handle to handle. This piece is intact with no cracks and/or chips, and has no repair/restoration. This piece is superb to mint quality "as found" condition, save for some minor glaze loss on one outer section of the vessel. This piece is known as a "black glazed" Attic skyphos, as this piece has a deep black glaze seen on the inner and outer surfaces. This piece has a painted light red band seen on the wide foot base, and an unglazed reserve seen under each handle. This piece has some white calcite deposits seen in the low relief sections and the bottom side of the vessel. This piece also has a beautiful patina with some attractive light red and dark brown burnishing. This piece is a much larger example than what is normally seen, and has very thick handles that curve up and away from the main body of the piece. There is also a black target dot seen at the center of the bottom surface, and this is also a hallmark of an Attic potter. In addition, this piece has a thick rounded lip and a defined shoulder line that runs around the main body of the vessel. The walls of this x-large vessel average about .2 inches in thickness as well, and this piece was created to be a durable vessel. This type of vessel was also produced in Athens for export to many regions of the ancient Greek world. Two scarce identical examples of this piece are seen in the "Classical Art Research Centre and The Beazley Archive", and are of the same size and shape. (See no. 1011658, Museum Czartoryski, Krakow, Poland; and no. 1003165, Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum, Greece.) This piece is a solid complete example, and is not often seen in this intact condition. Ex: Steve Rubinger collection, Los Angeles, CA., circa 1980's. Ex: Private CA. collection. (Note: Additional documentation is available to the purchaser.) I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:

This mint quality Roman glass flask dates circa 2nd century A.D., and is approximately 7.6 inches high. This flawless light green glass piece has no breaks or chips, and is a larger example than what is normally seen. This well designed piece also has a large folded rim at the top that provided greater control while pouring a liquid, and in addition, there is also an indented bottom design that allowed this piece to solidly stand upright. This piece also has an indented section at the bottom of the elongated neck, and this also controlled the flow of liquid within the vessel. This piece has a brilliant multi-iridescent patina with light blue highlights, seen in sections of the vessel, along with some light brown earthen deposits and minute root marking. Overall, an attractive piece with nice eye appeal that has interesting design features. (For the type see, John Hayes, "Roman and Pre-Roman Glass in the Royal Onterio Museum", 1975, no. 231.) Ex: Joel Malter collection, Los Angeles, CA., circa 1980's. (Note: Additional documentation is available to the purchaser.) I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:

This scarce piece is a Moche stirrup-vessel with a mythical creature, and dates circa 450-600 A.D., Moche IV-V Periods. This interesting piece is approximately 10.9 inches high, and is intact with no repair and/or restoration. This piece has alternating dark red and light tan colors, and features a mythical creature running right with a toothy open mouth, and is holding a sacrificial tumi with an extended arm. This creature also appears to be in flight, and there are also three symbols seen above the main body of this creature. The raised stirrup-spout also has dotted designs that match the dotted designs seen on the main body of the creature. The entire vessel is rendered with half of the vessel in dark red, and the other half in light tan colors, and this may represent day and night, and/or the living and the spirit world. An interesting Moche piece that is a reflection of human sacrifice that was a religious part of their culture. Ex: Private German collection, circa 1980's-2000's. (Note: Additional documentation is available to the purchaser, including EU Export and US Customs Import documentation.) I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:

This scarce piece is a Greek bronze amulet that is seen in the form of the Greek goddess Baubo, and dates circa 5th-3rd century B.C. This piece is approximately 1.25 inches high by .65 inches wide, and is a complete example with no restoration/repair. This complete piece has a nice dark green patina with some light brown deposits, and is a solid cast example that likely served as a wearable amulet that hung from a necklace. This piece has a suspension hoop seen at the top of the head of the goddess, who is seen nude with her hands on her knees, and is revealing her over-sized vulva. The goddess Baubo was a fun-loving, bawdy, jesting, sexually liberated - yet very wise - goddess who played a crucial role in preserving the fertility of the land in ancient Greece. According to ancient Greek myth, Baubo stopped to rest in the city of Eleusis and had a conversation with the depressed Demeter, who was in deep mourning over the loss of her daughter Persephone who was abducted by Hades, the god of the underworld. Demeter abandoned her duties to bring fertility back to the land, until Baubo began chatting with Demeter using risqué remarks that brought a smile back to Demeter's face. Then, Baubo suddenly lifted her skirt revealing her vulva to Demeter who responded with a hearty belly laugh. Demeter's spirits were uplifted, and she was then able to persuade Zeus to release Persephone, which restored the fertility of the land. The piece offered here may have been worn by a woman, and/or a person who was also connected with the Eleusinian Mysteries. The followers of Baubo believed that enmity could be turned into friendship, and that all people are an integral part of the great cycles of nature. This piece is a scarce to rare example, and is a solid example that can easily be worn today. This piece also hangs on a custom display stand. Ex: Joel Malter collection, Los Angeles, CA., circa 1980's. (Note: Additional documentation is available to the purchaser.) I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:

This attractive Greek bronze is a complete relief plaque that dates to the late Hellenistic Period, circa 2nd-1st century B.C. This piece is approximately 4.5 inches long, by 3.25 inches high, by 1.3 inches thick which is also an extremely high relief. This piece shows a striding panther that is walking left, and is seen looking back at it's handler which is a nude walking Eros. The nude walking Eros is also seen pulling a rope that is secured around the neck of the panther, and the walking Eros also has wings that are seen behind his back. The panther is seen with his head facing the viewer, and the body of the Eros is twisted with an open chest towards the viewer as well. The entire scene is framed by a Greek acanthus pattern at the top, and scrolls to the left and right. This plaque likely was an applique that was attached to a bronze hydria or a bronze vessel of some type, and is a scarce example. The panther was sacred to Dionysus, and the Eros may be a representative of Dionysus as well. This piece has a beautiful dark green patina with spotty red highlights. This piece is also intact, and has no repair/restoration. This attractive piece also hangs from a custom metal stand, and can easily be removed. Ex: Royal-Athena Galleries, New York, New York, circa 1980's. Ex: Private New York collection, circa 1990's. Published: Royal-Athena Galleries: "Gods and Mortals", 1989, no. 13. ($3,750.00 fixed price.) (Note: Additional documentation is available to the purchaser.) I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:

This piece is a Moche ceramic stirrup-jar that dates circa 450-600 A.D., Moche IV-V periods. This interesting piece is approximately 9.75 inches high, and is intact with no repair/restoration. This piece has some minute black spotty mineral deposits, and has some light brown burnishing. This piece has light orange/red highlights over a cream colored background, and is a very detailed Moche fineline ceramic. This lively piece shows two detailed and animated "Strombus Monsters", which are seen facing right and are seen on each side of the vessel. These composite creatures are seen wearing a conch shell, from which they are seen emerging, and they display a lively open mouthed pose. These creatures have a striped pelage, a tapering tail, a long-spined main that runs down the length of it's back, and four legs with claws. There are also three eyes that extend from the front of the head. According to Christopher Donnan in "Moche Art of Peru", University of California, Los Angeles, CA., 1978, p.63: "On the snout of the monster are antenna-like objects clearly derived from the land snail. There is a likely explanation for the combination of features on this animal. Since conch shells (Strombus galeatus) were imported from Ecuador, the Moche people probably never saw the creature living inside. They may, however, have made an analogy between the creature they thought inhabited the conch shell and the land snail, which is native to the north coast of Peru." There is an analogous comparable to this vessel that is seen in Sotheby's New York, Arts of Africa, Oceania & the Americas, May 2003, no. 207. ($4,000.00-$6,000.00 estimates.) Ex: Private German collection, circa 1970's. Ex: Dr. Klaus Maria collection, circa 1978-2012. (Note: Additional documentation is available to the purchaser, including a TL document from Gutachten Lab., no. 7579125, dated 11/19/1979, and EU Export and US Customs Import documentation.) I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:

This nice piece is a Viking bronze pendant that dates circa 9th-10th century A.D. This piece is approximately 1.7 inches high, and the round plaque section is approximately 1.2 inches in diameter. This piece was made from two sections, one being the flat round plaque, and the other, is the strap loop that has a single rivet securing it to the main body of the piece. The round plaque has a hammered dotted border, and a hammered Christian Byzantine type cross design that has a round center. This round center may also double as a solar symbol, and the cross design also has an additional smaller cross patterns seen at the end of all four points. The design of this Christian cross, seen on this pendant, may also be one of the earliest Christian cross examples seen on a Viking culture type piece. The cross design also has remains of a light green to cream colored enamel, and this shows well against the dark green patina that this piece has. This piece is an complete exceptional example for the type, and is not often seen on the market in this superb condition. This piece is solid, and can easily be worn today. This piece also hangs on a custom display stand, and can easily be removed. Ex: Private Denmark collection, circa 1990's. (Note: Additional documentation is available to the purchaser.) I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:

This extremely rare piece is a Moche "open topped" jar that dates, Moche V Period, circa 500-700 A.D. This piece is approximately 5.6 inches high, by 5.25 inches wide at the base. This interesting piece is a polychrome black-ware vessel, and has a nice glossy black glazed surface with some attractive dark brown burnishing. This type of Moche "portrait vessel", is generally seen within the Moche V Period, and is often associated with "open topped" vessels with an extended neck, as is seen with this vessel. The extremely rare piece offered here is intact, has some spotty mineralization, and some attractive minute root marking. This piece shows a man with a facial deformity, as the face is seen caved in with a diminutive nose and an extended lower jaw. The man is also seen looking straight ahead with what appears to be a forlorn facial expression. This piece was collected circa 1960's by Dr. Ernst J. Fisher, who collected Moche art/ceramics that were medical related, and often depicted individuals with diseases and/or deformities. The Moche were known for their realistic ceramic portraiture of individuals, and the vessel seen here is a prime example of their skill for realism in portraiture, and it is likely that this piece depicted an actual individual. The most common view of the deformed face of the individual depicted here, is that this deformity was the result of a disease such as Mucocutaneous Leishmaniasis (ML), and this disease is found today in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru. ML is contracted from a sand fly bite, and subsequently, ML symptoms include painful nodules inside the nose, perforation of the nasal septum, and enlargement of the nose and lips. Untreated, the disease leads to ulcerated lesions and scarring and tissue destruction predominately in the face and extremities which can be disfiguring (See MedicineNet.com for more information regarding this disease.) This piece likely displays the disease noted above, as the final stage of this disease is a collapse of the nasal septum followed by death. This piece may also have been a votive type piece, as this disease was regarded by the Moche as a sacred sign of the Gods, and consequently, this type of "portrait vessel" is extremely rare. Ex: Dr. Ernst J. Fischer collection, Germany, circa 1960's. Ex: Private German collection. (Note: Additional documentation is included for the purchaser, including EU Export and US Customs Import documentation.) I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:

This attractive piece is a Greek black glazed glaux skyphos, and dates circa 4th century B.C. This piece is approximately 2.8 inches high, by 5.5 inches wide from handle to handle, and is in intact condition, with no repair and/or restoration. Overall, this piece is in superb to mint quality condition, save for some minor spotty roughness in the glaze of the outer surface, and has some spotty white calcite deposits. This piece has a deep lustrous black glaze seen on the inner and outer surfaces, and has a very distinctive design feature with one vertical and one horizontal handle. Both of these handles also have a different design, with the horizontal handle having a round design, and the vertical handle having a thick, flat design. The vertical handle was designed to hold this scarce vessel with the index finger, and the other handle was used to control the pouring of a liquid, such as concentrated wine that was mixed with water. The handle design also refers to the common name that this scarce type of vessel is known as, and this vessel type is often referred to as a "glaux skyphos". The bottom of the vessel has a small black dot, seen within a dark orange reserve, that is also seen within the bottom ring base. The piece offered here is seldom seen in this condition, and is one of the better recorded examples. Ex: Hans Piehler collection, Germany, circa 1940's-1960's. Ex: Private German collection, circa 2000's. (Note: Additional documentation is available to the purchaser, including EU Export and US Customs Import documentation.) I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition:

This piece is a East Greek silver ladle that is of "Achaemenid" artistic style, otherwise known as the Persian Empire. This piece was likely made by a Greek artist, and this piece dates circa 6th-5th century B.C. This piece is a superb example and is complete, with no repair and/or breaks. This piece has a beautiful light gray patina, and has not been over cleaned, as there are several minute spotty black surface deposits. This piece was hammered into the shape seen here, and it has a shallow rounded bowl, a slender handle section of octagonal construction, and a looped rounded terminal section that terminates in the head of a bull/calf. The head of the bull/calf is finely molded and engraved. (For other published examples see Dietrich von Bothmer, "A Greek and Roman Treasury", The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New York, 1984, p. 41, nos. 60-61.) This piece is also very similar to the piece seen in Sotheby's Antiquities, Important Antiquities from the Norbert Schimmel Collection, New York, Dec. 1992, no. 22. ($8,000.00-$12,000.00 estimates.) The Schimmel example is not only similar, but it is almost an exact match to the piece offered here. The bull/calf head is very analogous relative to both examples, and this is an indication that there is a possibility that both of these pieces came from the same workshop. In addition, the heights of both examples are nearly the same, as the Schimmel example is approximately 7.6 inches high, and the example offered here is approximately 7.75 inches high and weighs approximately 59 gms. These rare pieces were likely used to dip highly concentrated wine into water, as this allowed for an exact mix of wine to water, and the piece offered here and the Schimmel example may have both been made to exact specifications for mixing wine to water. The fact that this type of piece is silver, also points to the probably that this piece was formal table ware for a wealthy Greek noble. There is also a Byzantine period cross and globe stamped into the back side of the ladle, which is seen at the base of the handle. (See photo.) This piece was used later on, probably in the early Byzantine period circa 4th-5th century A.D., and likely in a Christian church or home. This piece survived for a long period of time, as it was utilized down into the Byzantine period. Another probable reason why this piece was used for a long period of time is that it is silver, and has a great deal of utility as a ritual piece. A custom black/clear plexiglas base is included and the piece is mounted on the base with clay and can easily be removed. Ex: F. Bernheimer collection. Ex: Sotheby's Antiquities, New York, Nov. 1989, no. 256. Ex: Private New York collection. Ex: R. Poland collection. Ex: Pierre Berge & Associates, Archeologie, Paris, May 2011, no. 209. (Note: Additional documentation is available to the purchaser, including a French Passport Export Certificate.) I certify that this piece is authentic as to date, culture, and condition: